Play Your Part
by Supreme Distraction
Summary: As an actress, Diantha could wear any face she wanted—be anyone she wished to be. But who was behind the mask? Playing a part had become so routine that she herself wasn't even sure.
1. Prologue

This is a request from **Obsidianglasses **:3 Thanks so much for the cover image, luv—it's adorable.

Beta'd by **GrimGrave**. Do not own. Let's get this show on the road!

**Setting the Scene**

The stage: a place where the plain can be magnificent, the bold bolder still, and the magnificent can shine as brightly as the stars.

Diantha was quite possibly the brightest star in the Kalos region.

She was the very definition of grace and civility as well as an unstoppable force on the battle field—an example for Trainers young and old. She was renown throughout the other regions as well, touching the lives of others from Kanto to Unova with both her acting on the big screen in _My Sweet Lady _and with her success as Grand Duchess in the Battle Chateau and as the Champion of the Elite Four.

Needless to say, the young woman was incredibly talented—and_ incredibly_ busy.

Before her fans, Diantha could wear any face she wished—become any character she wanted to be and play the part so flawlessly that her spellbound audience would believe that the charade was the real her.

In the end, who was she really beyond the characters she played? Some days Diantha herself didn't know.

X*Y*X

A pretty brunette with brilliant blue eyes sat at the head of a long glass table, her feet crossed primly at the ankles as she watched the other people seated—television hot shots, producers, and assorted big wigs—on either side of it chatter aimlessly among themselves. She sighed and straightened her spine, the image of refinement, and straightened the collar of her dark blue double-breasted blazer. It was quite different from her normal attire, but in this business one had to "dress to impress" as it was.

"_My Sweet Lady_ is going to be an incredible success on stage, Miss Diantha! We'll go beyond the screen and bring culture to the entirety of the Kalos region."

She nodded, smiling politely at the well-dressed man. It wasn't as though her opinion on the matter would change anything—formalities were a huge part of show business.

"We'll begin casting immediately. This will be the biggest thing to hit Kalos since you accepted your title as Champion!"

… As was exaggeration.

Still, she graced them with another smile, drumming her fingers impatiently against the table's glass surface. There was so much for her to do and so little time in the day. "That sounds wonderful. If you'll excuse me…"

At once, the assembly was rising to their feet, shaking hands and exchanging other such business pleasantries and the young woman slipped out in the clamor of chairs being pushed back and briefcases snapping shut.

* * *

Café Soleil was a frequent haunt of the lovely young Champion—a place where she could wear feature-concealing garments and accessories and sit near the back of the establishment, keeping her eye out for Trainer's with potential. It had been a while since her sixth sense for talent had drawn her towards a Pokémon Master-to-be, however; her visits had become less and less frequent, but the challengers hoping to be recorded in the Hall of Fame were no better .

To be honest, she was a bit disappointed with today's Trainer. Where was the raw talent—the total devotion to their role in the big stage called life?

It just felt as though the drive to be _the very best_ was lacking entirely in this new generation.

"Miss?"

Diantha started, smiling beatifically at the waiter that had approached her. "Yes?"

This was no waiter: the male standing before her was young and handsome with wild blue hair peeking from beneath the brim of the Poké Ball cap perched at an angle on his head. It was clear from the red and white spheres clipped to the belt slung loosely around slender hips that he was a Trainer.

"I'm Jeremy." He flashed a grin and she groaned inwardly, already certain of his intentions. "Would you mind if I sat—Do I know you?"

"Actually, I would," she responded coolly, smiling again to soften the blow to his ego. "And I believe you're mistaken."

The single Poké Ball nestled in the baggy front pocket of her hoody rocked gently and she rested a hand on her stomach to still it, thinking firmly, _'I'm fine.'_

It quieted and she turned her attention back to the boy. "I'm certain you're a lovely person, but I am in no way interested in a relationship. I'm much too busy."

Which was one-thousand percent true. The notion of a relationship had never actually occurred to her on its own, but only when these moments—which were more frequent than she would like—caught her off-guard and she was forced to face facts: no one would be able to keep up with the lifestyle a Champion-starlet lead. And that was okay. She had her Pokémon and that was more than enough.

Besides, what was modern romance like, anyway? _My Sweet Lady _had taught her that love was the cure to all ills and the only thing one would ever need to be really and truly happy. Would that prove true in the real world?

She really wasn't willing to put herself out there and find out.

With that final judgment, the brunette emerged from her own thoughts to find that her companion had scurried off, his tail between his legs, and she was alone again.

Alone—the ideal condition. After constantly being under the scrutiny the public, the weight of their judgment shaping her every action and even her way of thinking, it was nice to be able to breathe.

Her Poké Ball trembled again and the brunette rose from her seat, nodding her farewell to the other regular patron—a young woman in a dainty black and white dress with short black hair who kept to herself and her books in the corner opposite Diantha's—and exiting the establishment with a cheery jingle from the bell that hung over the doorway.

The moment she was outside, she put on a pair of huge, fashionable cat-eyed shades and headed down the cobblestone path towards the Hotel Richissime—her home away from home.

The walk was uneventful, the streets deserted at this time of day when the sun was dipping past the horizon, and she stood before a tall, sleek, hexagonal building made entirely of reflective glass. A door man opened one of the double doors with a flourish and she strode past him into the lobby, a six-sided room with marble floors and a high, domed ceiling from which a crystal chandelier hung. There was an elevator to the right of the long wooden check-in counter and a series of monitors to the left of it showcased the hotel's many amenities.

"Welcome back, Miss Fumiko," the friendly clerk at the front desk chirped, completely unaware that the name was fake. "Will you be staying long?"

She gave him a little wave, ducking her head so that he wouldn't look at her too closely. "Just a few days, Stew."

"Excellent. I'll put it on your tab. As always, let me know if you need anything."

Uttering a quick thank you, the brunette headed to the stairs, taking them two at a time, up, up, up to the eleventh floor. She had learned from experience that a small room that anyone else had access to wasn't the best place to be if you hoped to keep your identity a secret.

The moment she unlocked the door to her room, breathing hard from her climb, a bolt of crimson shot from her pocket, solidifying into the elegant form of a tall, humanoid Pokémon. Its white body resembled an evening gown, the green hair that fell over one hot pink eye angled forward on either side of its face so that it was long in the front and short in the back—a Gardevoir.

Diantha had raised the creature since it had been a diminutive white Raltz with a dome-shaped head and a slender, stem like body, and she had proven to possess an unusually powerful aptitude for sensing emotion and the latent talent within a human being.

_(I can sense your distress.) _The voice that rang in her ears was clear as a bell and just as melodious. _(What happened?)_

"It's nothing, Gwen."

_(Hm…)_

"What?"

The Pokémon shrugged slender shoulders. _(I cannot force to share your thoughts with me… I can only say that you seem troubled.)_

"I'm not… I don't know." With a heartfelt sigh, the Trainer collapsed onto her bed, her muscles completely relaxed for a rare moment. "I suppose I'm just tired."

_(It's far past time you took a break.)_

There just wasn't enough time to work a vacation into her schedule. She had responsibilities, after all: Champion, Grand Duchess, actress. The Diantha that existed behind those three entities came last.

She sat up, straightening her spine and lifting her chin. "Nonsense. There's so much to do."

_(Is it really up to you and you alone to do it all?)_

The question made a little tendril of doubt wriggle into her mind and she frowned slightly. "Enough, Gwendolyn, I'm going to bed. We need to begin the casting call tomorrow. The reenactment of _My Sweet Lady _has to be absolutely perfect."

_(Perhaps you should broaden your horizons and look elsewhere.) _The Gardevoir sounded less than enthusiastic—likely as a result of her sudden shut down—but the young woman paid her no mind.

"That's an excellent idea. I'll propose it at tomorrow's meeting." She rolled over onto her side, curling into a ball in order to hide the sadness she knew her partner could sense regardless. "Goodnight."

_(… Goodnight, Diantha.)_

* * *

Diantha straightened the collar of her dress suit as she tilted her head back to look up at the mass of steel and concrete before her. Somewhere within its many-floored innards sat a group of people who would decide how the next few

_(Are you prepared?)_

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The Pokémon nodded curtly. _(I can sense their excitement from here. It isn't often that you are the one to call these meetings.)_

"Good. Hopefully that means they'll like my idea."

Together, the duo pushed past the revolving door leading into the building's lobby, which was all white marble tiles with gold trim, white marble pillars, and darkly stained wooden furniture. Diantha paused, taking care to gape in an unladylike fashion as she took a look around: even the service staff patrolling it was dressed in sharp white suits with black ties and loafers. It screamed refinement… which was exactly why the Champion's directing staff had chosen it as their base of operations.

She recalled her Pokémon and crossed the polished floor, her high-heels clicking sharply with each step, to the elevator, where she pressed the button for the top floor.

…

"In short, I believe our best chances of finding the perfect cast members would be to extend our search to other regions." Smile, meet the eyes of everyone in the room—win them over with your charm if not your logic. "There's a multitude of Trainers with hidden talents all over the world and it would be criminal if we didn't tap into that resource and incorporate it into something as ambitious as the stage play _My Sweet Lady._"

"I understand what you mean to do, Miss Diantha, but that will require a lot of time and travel. Would you be able to undertake a project like this in addition to your other responsibilities?"

Time was an infinitely precious commodity in this business.

"I can handle it," she said firmly, already generating a mental list of contacts who could aid her in her search. She couldn't very well do this alone.

"Very well. We're counting on you."

"Thank you." She bowed neatly. "I won't disappoint you."

…

Diantha was reaching for the gold-plated handle of one of the revolving doors leading outside when she heard her name and turned: a pretty, pale woman with red hair who the girl recognized from the meeting was hurrying towards her, waving her arm as though to flag the brunette down.

"Miss Diantha, please wait!"

She stopped, turning to face the red-head, guilt making her smile faintly as she tried to recall the woman's name. "Sorry…"

"Jana," she young woman responded easily, offering her hand. When Diantha took it, she beamed. "Don't worry about it. I know how busy you are." She fidgeted, grinning nervously as she offered a pen and a crisp piece of stationery from the Bag strapped over her shoulder. "If you wouldn't mind… My daughter is a huge fan. She wants to be the next Champion."

The Trainer blinked, taking both objects and pausing for a moment to think. Then, she scribbled,

_To be a Champion, one must have heart._

—_Diantha_

"Thank you so much! I'm sure she'll love it."

"Yes… Of course."

After bidding the woman farewell, Diantha headed outside, bright blue orbs scanning for a moment before alighting on the long black vehicle that awaited her and—

"There she is!"

Half a dozen cameras flashed, just as many voices becoming one as they attempted to question her all at once:

"Diantha, are the rumors that you're working on a new project true?"

"Over here, Diantha! Give us a smile!"

"Diantha! Diantha!"

"Champion Diantha, when do you intend to return to your place as head of the Pokémon League?"

"Stand aside, you savages!" a male voice called, more loudly than the others. The crowd divided as a four-armed, bipedal creature with a body that resembled two triangles connected at the topmost point, strode through the gap, gentle maneuvering the paparazzi out of the way. In its wake came a tall blonde man with brilliant blue eyes and a handsome, charming face. He was dressed in a chef's uniform, the long white apron hanging in front of his legs swinging with each purposeful step, and his impressive presence made the throng fall still.

"Seibold…" He was a fellow member of the Elite Four—a well-mannered man who's passion for the arts had impressed her during their first meet.

A bolt of crimson recalled the Barbaracle. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the car as the clamor began anew, each question punctuated by a flurry of bright flashes. "Come. Let's get you home."

**Pokémon League… **

Diantha swept across the grand vast, sweeping hall, the thick carpet plush beneath her feet. She turned a corner rather than following it to the first of five chambers that had witnessed years of intense battling as a visiting Trainer would, the hem of the silk robe she wore to bed fluttering in her wake, and pushed a hidden panel on the wall; a secret door slid open to reveal a narrow corridor that lead into the living quarters of the Elite Four and she stepped into it, pushing the door open behind her and clapping her hands twice to activate the lights lining the wall. The young woman continued a little further, stepping out into the common area where the five Trainers spent their evenings arguing over films, reading, and debating battle strategy: there was a stout, handsome, black-haired young man sitting on a sofa, reading glasses perched on his nose as he perused the pages of a thick book.

He looked up at her entrance and smiled. "You've returned to us, Miss Diantha! I hope your trip went well."

"It wasn't as productive as I had hoped, Sir Wikstrom. How have things been?"

Wikstrom shrugged armored shoulders. "No Trainers have managed to best our marvelous Pokémon. All is well."

Actually, that news meant quite the opposite. Just what was going on with Trainers of late? They lacked the incredible bonds that connected their hearts with that of their Pokémon in some desperate push to collect every species and battle their way to the top. Being a Trainer was no longer about creating a close personal connection with the creatures that served as warriors and, in some cases, friends, but becoming number one by any means possible.

They lacked heart and that was the thing that disturbed Diantha most.

"I see…"

"Is something troubling you, my dear?"

She forced a smile, locking away the concerns that plagued her behind the upright Champion façade—one of her most frequently used characters. "No, of course not. I was on my way to the bathroom to take a shower, so I'll speak with you later."

"But of course."

The young woman continued across the room, coming to a three-pronged hallway where she took the left-most corridor and opened the first door she came to, flipping on the switch near the doorway and revealing a white and blue tiled bathroom. She undid the sash of her robe as she went over to the glass-walled shower and opened the door, reaching in and turning on the water full blast. As she shut the door again, she caught sight of herself in the mirror that took up the upper half of an entire wall and frowned as she noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

'_Ugh…'_

Her mind wandered as she stared vacantly, not really seeing herself as she sighed, lifting a hand and pressing it against the reflective surface.

…

_(Diantha…)_

How long had she been staring? The mirror had become covered in a thick layer of steam to the point that she could no longer see anything reflected in its surface.

'_I'm fine.'_

The air grew heavy for a brief moment and the surface of the door bubbled as the Psychic-type shifted the very molecules that made up the lacquered wood and stepped through them, slim arms crossed over her front. _(I don't appreciate being lied to.)_

Diantha shook her head, removing her hand from where it rested; in the hand-shaped space it left, she could see a distorted fragment of her face: too pale, too round—a mask.

How adequate.

_(Have heart.)_

Blink. "Excuse me…?"

_(You once said that one must have heart in order to be good at anything. I know that you can overcome your troubles so long as you have heart.)_

Have heart—right.

"Thank you, Gwen."

_(I am here for you.)_

With a gentle smile, the young woman shed her robe and stepped into the shower, tilting her head back to allow the warm spray to wash away the thoughts that plagued her.

And, on the other side of the opaque glass wall, Gwendolyn leaned against the counter and sighed faintly, a worried frown narrowing crimson orbs. Her mistress seemed to believe that life was a grand stage and she was merely a character with a part to play.

* * *

_She was never really comfortable with being herself—with letting her guard down and letting fans and friends alike know the real her._ _Considering how social human beings were—how much they relied on bonds in order to grow, flourish—it was a dangerous way to live indeed._

* * *

A bipedal blue Pokémon that resembled a jackal opened crimson orbs, his brow furrowing as the four brown hair-like appendages relaxed, falling to hang around his shoulders.

What he had just sensed was a cry for help if ever he had heard one—an unspoken burst of emotion that had resounded across miles upon miles to nudge his consciousness and capture his attention.

Well, it had worked.

With a tired sigh, the Lucario fell onto his back and covered his eyes with an arm. He had been trying for days now to find the source of such a strong—not to mention anxious—aura to no avail and each failure affected him more and more. Some part of the valiant Pokémon had made it his mission to rescue this damsel in distress and, until he managed to do so, he could not rest.

The sound of footsteps down the hall caught long, pointed ears and soon the sound of the front door to their current domicile could be heard. Soon after, a worried voice asked, "Raynor, what's wrong?"

Raynor, as he was called, looked to his mistress, a tall, gorgeous blonde woman dressed all in black, and his chest expanded with the warm feeling of adoration and respect as he got to his feet and bowed at the waist.

_(It's nothing. Please don't concern yourself.)_

He would do anything to protect her—go any distance to prove his worth. Bothering her with this trivial matter was out of the question.

"Are you sure?" A warm hand rested on his head, the fingertips of which rubbed gently at the base of his ears, and he fought the urge to wag his tail.

_(Yes.)_

"Alright." The affectionate petting desisted as the woman crossed to the other side of the room, towards a short hallway leading into the adjacent kitchenette. "Are you hungry?"

_(May I ask you something?)_

"Of course." Her voice was muffled and he could tell she was rummaging through the pantry.

_(I've had dreams of a young Trainer. A girl. She has short brown hair and blue eyes… And when she smiles, it never quite reaches them.)_

"She doesn't sound familiar."

_(That was not the question.) _Raynor entered the kitchen, retrieving from a cupboard the snack she had been searching for and handing it to the woman.

"What would I do without you?" she laughed. "So what are you asking?"

The Pokémon shifted, uncertain of his decision to bring this matter to his mistress's attention. In the end he continued haltingly, _(Humans are social beings. Is it dangerous for them to fail to socialize?)_

"That's an odd question." She gave him a curious look. "I wouldn't say 'dangerous,' but it isn't healthy for someone to keep to themselves all the time. Like you said, we're social creatures."

_(And what if they lie to themselves?)_

"Well, everyone does that at some point. It's a natural defense mechanism."

_(Even if it's to the point that they forget what the truth really is?)_

The woman frowned, her concern reflected in the wrinkle of the skin between her eyebrows. "Raynor, what is this really about? You're scaring me."

He sent her a wave of cool, soothing tranquility, but blonde refused to be calmed, her anxiety spiking as she sensed his presence in her mind. And with that anxiety came something he never hoped to sense again: hurt. She knew he was hiding something and the fact that her partner didn't seem her with the information was upsetting.

There was no choice. He had to tell her. _(I've been picking up a distressed aura for the past few days. I cannot locate its source, nor do I know who the message was meant for, but I feel as though I must give what aid I can.)_

"What can I do to help?"

That was just like his mistress to act first, ask questions later. She trusted him explicitly and, if he said something needed to be done, it got done. It was because of this trust that their bond was so incredibly strong.

_(I will resume the search tonight. Perhaps it will be easier to receive these distress calls when my subconscious mind is not actively seeking them out.)_

…

_/ "Ha…ve ..h..eart." _

_Though the words were broken, the voice reverberated so powerfully that Raynor clapped his paws over his ears in an attempt to drown out the chaotic echo._

_(What is this?)_

"… _seem… dis..tress…ed…"_

_The Pokémon whirled, but could see nothing but the wash of white that spread in every direction._

_(Who are you? What do you want?)_

"_I..s it re..ally up …to you… a..nd you …a..l…one to ..do.. i..t all?"_

_A pale green dot appeared amongst the yawning paleness, swiftly spreading outwards until it had coated everything in its hue. From it bloomed a single pink flower, its petals tinged with red. When the Lucario reached out a tentative paw, a drop of crimson dripped onto it and he flinched._

"…_Diantha…" /_

Raynor bolted upright, pushing the other consciousness he sensed away with a pulse of aura and instantly regretting the defensive action as the blonde yelped, hitting the far wall with a dull thud.

_(Miss Cynthia! I apologize—)_

"It's fine," she said immediately, straightening and rubbing the back of her skull. When she withdrew her hand, her fingertips were crimson and, had he been able to, the Pokémon would have paled.

_(Miss Cynthia—)_

"It's fine," she repeated firmly. "What did you see that has you so badly spooked?

_(I saw nothing. I heard a voice… It was badly garbled, but I could make out a name.) _Cynthia looked at her partner expectantly and the Lucario sighed. _(Diantha.)_

Gray orbs the same sharp colour of steel narrowed as the cogs in her mind turned, seeking but not finding a face to connect to the name. Though she wracked her brain, the memory proved to be as delicate as the shining strands of a Spinarak's web: the more she struggled, the more it fell apart with no hope of repair. "Why do I recognize that name?"

_(You should treat your wound,) _Raynor insisted, guilt settling like a stone in his gut.

It took further prompting, but the blonde finally went to the bathroom and used gauze to apply pressure to the injury. One square became two after the first turned pink and after the third scrap of bandaging, Raynor remarked, _(You require medical assistance.) _

"Would you please?"

_(As you wish.) _The Pokémon reached out, his paw glowing silver with aura as he willed the flesh to knit itself back together. As it turned out the gash wasn't too deep, but better safe than sorry.

"So what did you dream about this girl?"

He didn't respond, toying with the idea of giving her a less than truthful story with the hopes detaining her attention. Unfortunately, there was a very slim chance of that particular plan working out because Cynthia knew him very well. Though his words were unspoken and the inflection therefore easier to control, she could still sense the untruths in them.

"Answer me."

Still, he hesitated. By now it was far too late to try and avoid troubling her with his frivolities, but that didn't make him any less reticent to share what he had seen. Once one page of this book had been read, it was only a matter of time before the curious woman expected to learn the whole story, damning the dangers involved. Her inquisitive mind had lead them on many an adventure and he had always managed to keep her safe, but he had a strange feeling about this new situation. Whoever was concerned about this Diantha woman felt so strongly that it was affecting their psychic ability and allowing their subconscious to broadcast like radio waves—likely without them even being aware. It was his educated guess that this someone was the Trainer's Pokémon partner and a powerful Psychic-type at that.

But what did that all mean?

"Raynor?"

The Pokémon snapped back to the present moment and withdrew his paw. _(Good as new.)_

"Thank you." That dark gaze was serious. "You know I'm not going to let this go until you tell me what's on your mind."

Oh, he knew only too well.

_(… My dream was unclear, but I think this 'Diantha' is in some kind of danger.)_

**-End Chapter-**


	2. The Casting Call

The teams mentioned herein are from Black and White 2.

**-The Casting Call—**

**Kanto**

**Day One…**

_(How do you feel today, Diantha?)_

"Nervous," she responded honestly, smiling at the slender white Pokémon.

Unconfident, uncertain, inelegant—in other words, completely out of character.

_(Well, you look wonderful.)_

"You keep me young," the brunette chuckled, her nerves lessening despite her light-hearted tone.

The Pokémon's hot pink eye—the only one visible through that curtain of green—narrowed cheerfully in the approximation of a smile… an impressive feat given that she didn't have any other facial features to work with. _(You hardly require my assistance.)_

No, she definitely did. Gwendolyn was her rock.

"What if they don't like me?" The question seemed silly the moment she voiced it, but it was a very real concern of the young starlet's. What if her fame wasn't quite as grand as her producer made it seem? What if she was just fooling herself by believing that anyone outside of the Kalos region had even _heard _of _My Sweet Lady_?

In that case, the super star persona wouldn't work and she would be back to boring regular Diantha—never mind the fact that she was Champion of the Elite Four as well as Grand Duchess of the Battle Chateau.

_(How could they not? You're wonderful.)_

She breathed in, tugging at the hem of the skirt portion of her dress suit and nodding curtly. Who would she be today? "I'm ready."

The Gardevoir waved and the double doors swung open to reveal a crowd of eager, excited faces. The moment the Kalos Champion was revealed, a cheer went up and the dull roar of hundreds of voices speaking at once made the young woman wince, though she hid the reaction by clasping her hands and beaming in an overly dramatic display of happiness.

This was the first of many stops on her casting tour.

"Welcome to Saffron City, Miss Diantha," her manager said from her right, handing her a clipboard. "This week, we'll tour Kanto, but keep an open mind because we need to choose only a handful of these lovely Trainer's before we go on our way."

"No pressure," Janna said from the step below her with reassuring grin and a wink.

Blue eyes wandered appraisingly and the Champion reached up to tousle her hair—a nervous habit she had developed, though her composed outward appearance didn't reflect the way her heart thudded anxiously.

"Here you are at last," a third voice remarked, this one vaguely familiar.

The Champion blinked, looking to her staff, only to find that they also seemed confused. Cobalt orbs scanned the surrounding faces, but she couldn't match a face to the speaker.

A warm weight settled on her shoulder and she jumped, only to gasp when she recognized the other person: a tall, slender young woman with medium length blue hair that flipped upwards at the ends and exotic features that were, more often than not, locked in a serious expression.

"Oh…" Diantha smiled—a genuine expression of happiness—and reached out to clasp hands with the austere blue-haired woman and was rewarded with a small smile in return. She actually liked this woman… And that was saying something. "Sabrina… It's been a long time."

Upon confirming that the Champion knew this newcomer, her staff went to greet the gathered fans in order to give the duo some privacy.

The Gym leader nodded her agreement. "When I heard you would be in the area, I thought I might as well say hello."

_(Hello, Sabrina,) _Gwen greeted, bowing at the waist. She had a great deal of respect for the older woman due to her impressive knowledge about Psychic-types.

"Hello, Gwendolyn. Are you taking care of our Diantha?"

_(Of course.)_

"It's good to see you." Their hug was brief, but the contact reminded Diantha that she was in fact human and therefore a social being. For a split second, she relaxed completely, the warmth of the other Trainer's body suffusing her own, wrapping her in comfort like the pelt of the fluffiest Flaffy.

"Diantha?"

She stiffened immediately, snapping back to the here and now and clearing her throat as she backed away from the older woman. That minute break in character left a bad taste in her mouth and her mind reeled, hurriedly gathering her thoughts into familiar working order and casting off the alien sentiments she had just experienced. "Ah… We're, uh, recruiting actors for my play, _My Sweet _Lady. Would you like to—"

"I'm not one for drawing attention to myself, but thank you for the kind offer." The Psychic-type user smiled apologetically. "If you find a moment, feel free to stop by the Gym. We'll have tea and catch up."

That sounded lovely, but…

"Thank you, Sabrina. Really. I would love to."

Sabrina turned to leave, adding over her shoulder, "It would be a shame if, after seeing you for the first time in three years, you disappear like you always do."

The brunette's cheeks heated and she opened her mouth to defend herself, but the mysterious Trainer had already melted into the crowd.

_(She has a point, you know.)_

_/ The portal puzzle in the outer room had been a breeze with Gwendolyn's help, though it didn't appear as though the Mistress of Psychic Pokémon was particularly surprised by her presence. Despite the fact that she was dressed in tight white pants and a pink tank-top that rose to show off her toned midriff, Sabrina was the very embodiment of poise and properness as she inclined her head in acknowledgment to her guest from her place at the table at the center of the rather Spartan room._

"_Welcome to my Gym, Champion Diantha. Please—sit."_

"_Thank you… You're too kind."_

_She sat with her legs folded beneath her across from the other Trainer at the low table and, at the blue-haired woman's signal, a young girl with twin braids dressed in a yukata came in with a tray laden with snacks and a brass teapot and mugs. She set them down on the table with a bow to her employer before exiting to the rear of the room and pushing the shoji screen quietly shut behind her._

"_So tell me: why are you here?" the bluette asked conversationally as she poured steaming liquid into both their mugs. "Help yourself to something to eat. I know your journey was a long one."_

"_You were expecting me."_

"_I had a vision of your arrival."_

_She accepted the vessel and blew to cool her tea before taking a sip. It was delicious. "Then you know why I'm here?"_

"_That's not quite how it works. My powers are not without limit."_

"_So what do you know?" Diantha asked curiously._

"_I know that you're searching for something."_

"_What?"_

"_You're searching for something," Sabrina repeated. "I regret to inform you that you won't find it here."_

"…" _The Champion looked past her hostess, blue eyes wandering over the scrolls hung from the wall: honor, strength, and wisdom. "And what is it that I'm looking for?" she asked at last, her voice low._

"_That, I can't answer." Sabrina smiled ruefully. "But in time, I'm certain you will be able to."_

_Trying not to let how much those cryptic words had spooked her show in her expression, the actress said, "I actually came here to ask you a favor."_

"_You would ask a favor of a complete stranger." Again, she didn't seem surprised._

_In way of response, Diantha removed a Poké Ball from the belt around her hips and, without any further prompting from her mistress, Gwendolyn emerged in a jagged bolt of crimson. "This is Gwendolyn. She'll be assessing how powerful a team you are."_

"_Charmed, I'm sure. Unfortunately, I don't enjoy battles."_

_It was the first that Diantha had ever heard that sentiment from a Trainer and it had certainly piqued her interest. Perhaps the young Gym Leader was just the sort of Trainer she was looking for… _

_She shifted. "I'm not looking for a battle."_

_Sabrina arched an elegant eyebrow. "Oh?" _

"_Strength is measured in many ways."_

_She sipped her tea for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Finally, she said softly, "Very well… Follow me."_

…

_Sabrina's private quarters were a soothing shade of lilac decorated with mysterious looking relics and thick, dusty tomes. Both Trainers removed their shoes, mindful of the tatami mat, and the older of the tow strode over to a glass case where four Poké Balls sat upon a satin pillow._

_The moment she opened up the case, a bolt of crimson snaked out, solidifying into the humanoid form of a broad-chested, long-eared Pokémon with an impressive moustache—an Alakazam. _

_(You called me?) He turned his attention to his mistress's company, tilting his head curiously. (Greetings.)_

_Gwen nodded, but remained silent, hovering protectively at her Trainer's side._

"_Champion Diantha, this is Lucian."_

"_Please, just Diantha is fine."_

"_Very well." She nodded curtly. "What do you need me to do?"_

"_Just stand beside your Pokémon. Gwen will do the rest."_

_(What is it that you intend to do?) Lucian asked._

_(Do you trust your Trainer?)_

_He straightened his spine, conviction glinting in narrow eyes._ _(With my life.)_

_(Let's test that bond.)_

_Sabrina reached out, resting her hand on her Pokémon's shoulder, nodding to the Gardevoir to indicate that she was prepared, and Gwen's eyes glowed an intense shade of crimson as she tapped into her psychic abilities._

_The duo went stock-still—as though they had been electrocuted._

"_What do you see?"_

_(Patience.)_

_After what felt like forever Sabrina sagged, leaning heavily against her partner. She seemed physically exhausted despite having been very still for the past five minutes, her chest rising and falling raggedly as she took a moment to gather herself. Lucian silently inquired as to how she was feeling, but she shook her head and looked to Gwendolyn. "Well?" _

_(Your bond is strong.) _

_Diantha released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, relief colouring her tone, "You don't know how long it's been since I've met another Trainer who—"_

"_I know better than you think," was the curt response. "Now how may I help you, Diantha?" /_

She had to disappear… How else would she avoid becoming attached and therefore tied down to one place?

"I know," was the soft response.

_(You have heart, Diantha, but that does not mean that you should keep it so carefully guarded.)_

There was nothing to say to that, really. She knew the embrace Pokémon was right, but the heart was a stubborn, secretive thing—especially when one lacked trust.

"Well then, let's get this show on the road!"

…

"Thank you all so much for taking the time to come out here." Diantha smiled her most charming of smiles, knowing full well that the expression may have come off as haughty or condescending, but that was her current character—a super star. It wasn't easy for her to do this—to crush the hopes of hundreds of young people right off the bat—but it would save a lot of time.

"Gwen?"

The Gardevoir stepped forward, eye glowing as she scanned for hidden talents. A few of the Trainer's shifted anxiously, sensing the gentle brush of another presence in their subconscious while still others waited, smiling emptily as they awaited further instruction. Finally, the Pokémon sighed and snapped her eye shut, slender shoulders slouching.

_(You won't like this.)_

It wasn't easy, but it was business.

"Will the following Trainers please step forward to receive information about the proceedings and how to contact the studio? Everyone else is dismissed."

**Hours later…**

The moment the remaining Trainers dispersed, the young woman allowed her shoulders to sag, the tiredness of a day's work seeping into her muscles and making her body ache.

_(You should rest.)_

The producer was approaching with Janna in tow. "In a moment."

"Good work today, Diantha! We've seen tons of talent and I'm looking forward to scouting in Celadon tomorrow."

Janna patted her shoulder. "Get some rest. We leave early tomorrow morning."

As the duo headed down the stairs and to the car waiting for them, the Champion massaged her temples. "Where's the nearest hotel, Gwen?"

_(The car is waiting for you.)_

"I'd rather walk."

_(I would not advise—)_

"I know you'll protect me."

The Pokémon nodded, relenting. _(It's a few blocks from here. I'll lead the way.)_

The duo headed out into the night, their path lit by the streetlamps overhead. Saffron City gleamed in the night, its younger residents loitering about night clubs with pulsating lights and a throbbing bass that made the air throb. They made it to a quieter part of the city before Diantha remarked, "We're near the Gym."

_[Yes.]_

She knew the Gardevoir had purposefully taken this route so that she would consider the other Trainer's invitation and the Champion continued, "I suppose I should stop and say hello."

_[Sabrina would like that.]_

As they approached the side entrance to the large white building, it swung open and Sabrina emerged, a teasing smile on her lips. "I had a vision of your arrival, Diantha."

"I couldn't pass up a chance to have some of that delicious tea you make."

Lucian was just beyond the entrance, floating above a squat pillar, his long legs crossed and his eyes closed. A low, almost electrical hum left him and he didn't stir as his mistress and her guests moved past.

"He's helping me with that favor you asked," the Gym Leader explained quietly, guiding the brunette and her partner to the kitchen.

Even after all this time… Sabrina was a woman of her word, it seemed.

"Still no luck?"

"You know this generation… It's all about the power of their Pokémon, not the bonds they share."

She knew all too well.

_(I will assist him,) _Gwen said, falling into place beside him and giving the Trainers some privacy to catch up.

The pair retreated to the kitchen and Diantha sat at the counter across from the stove, watching as Sabrina added tea leaves to a stainless steel basket and added it into a cast iron teapot, placing the vessel over a burner. She went over to the chrome refrigerator and got out a tray of leaf-shaped cakes, which she put in the microwave.

"You've redecorated since I was last here."

"Time doesn't stop for anyone. I replaced everything that was outdated."

Fortunately, the woman didn't have the same view towards her Pokémon—quite unlike other Trainers. Nowadays, it was all about having the best team: Trainers bred and evolved their Pokémon indiscriminately, entirely unconcerned with the well-being of the creatures they pit against one another in order to somehow prove their _own_ strength. Rather than raise them at a pace that allowed them to adjust to the incredibly taxing changes brought about by the total reconstruction of their very beings, Trainers sought to power-level, stressing the bond that connected all Pokémon willing to obey commands in battle to the masters and mistresses that commanded them.

Eventually, those bonds decayed and broke, leaving the Pokémon-Trainer duo unable to reach their full potential.

The rather disparaging thought made the Champion sigh, though she smiled thankfully at her friend when the older woman placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her.

"Where did you go just now?"

"Do you think there's still hope for a new Champion in this generation?"

"There is always hope, Diantha. It's what makes us human." She retrieved the platter of snack cakes from the microwave and joined her companion at the counter. "Try one, they're delicious."

* * *

_[Oh, this is so exciting! I wish I could have come with you.]_

"Next time, Winstrom. Have you met any promising Trainers?"

_[No. Anyone who has managed to get past me has been crushed by Malva or Drasna. They don't even make it to Siebold.]_

_[Is that Diantha?] _a voice asked in the background, this one female.

_[Hold on.]_

There was scrabbling on the other end of the line then, the other speaker's face appeared on the screen of her Pokégear: an older woman with shoulder-length gray hair and a kind face. _[Take your time, dearie. We can handle things here.]_

"Thank you, Drasna. Goodnight."

_[Don't work too hard,] _the man advised. _[Goodnight.]_

**Day Four…**

Celadon City's department store had never been busier—and that was saying something given that it was the most populous city in the region. It wasn't every day that a celebrity visited, after all. The first floor was milling with excited Trainers waiting for a chance to get a signature from the Kalos region Champion, who had decided that she would give take a break from her recruiting in order to give her fans a little love.

The hour flew by and she returned to her hotel room in order to go over the aspiring actresses and actors she and her team had met with earlier

The sheer number of people auditioning had forced them to break the recruiting process into a three part, three day stress-fest. This was the final day, thankfully, but Diantha's temples had been throbbing since early that morning and she wasn't feeling too thankful. The desk blurred and she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and breathing in and out slowly as she attempted to calm the chaotic pulsation within her cranium.

Cool hands rested on either side of her face, that single crimson eye peering worriedly at her, and the throbbing subsided almost instantly, leaving only the cool, noninvasive presence of the Gardevoir's conscious. This—this warm cocoon of gentle concern—was the reason her species was known as the 'embrace Pokémon'. "Thank you, Gwen."

_(Of course.)_

The presence withdrew and she turned back to the fat packet of references and photographs; but after a minute of staring and not quite absorbing, the young woman sighed and dropped it onto the glass surface of the table before her. She had been working nonstop for the past five hours and it was about quitting time.

_(Let's take a walk,)_ Gwen suggested.

…

Somehow the Gardevoir had managed to locate a verdant garden in the southern-most part of Celadon—a veritable paradise of sweet-smelling vegetation—and the pair sat in the well maintained grass, breathing in the calming scent of flowers.

"This is lovely." Diantha started, smiling amusedly as what she had assumed to be a plant uprooted itself to reveal a blue, bulb-shaped body and waddled away—an Oddish.

They watched as the Pokémon ran to the protective shelter of an immense red flower with white spots and it in turn stood up, lifting the Oddish in stubby purple arms and inquiring, "Vileplume?"

_(I thought you'd enjoy it.)_

The Grass-types disappeared into the thriving foliage, leaving the pair to the quiet sounds of nocturnal Pokémon and the gentle burble of the fountain at the garden's center.

"Where are we?"

"I believe I can answer that."

She looked up to see a cute young woman dressed in an orange, floor length kimono with a floral pattern in a darker shade of orange dancing along its hem. Raven-coloured bangs were contained by a headband the same dark red as the large bow her obi had been tied into, revealing kind, dark brown eyes.

The Vileplume from before was by her side, shifting from one foot to the other as it attempted to hide behind the hem of her kimono. "Vile…"

"My Trainers maintain all of the gardens around Celadon in an effort to beautify the city."

Oh, she was a Gym Leader?

Diantha quickly got to her feet and offered a hand. "I'm Diantha, Champion of the Kalos region."

"Oh, you're Sabrina's friend." The short-haired beauty beamed. "I'm the Leader of Celadon City's Gym—Erika."

"Pleased to meet you."

"You've created quite a stir, you know. You're very popular around here."

"I suppose I am." Or, rather, her characters—the personalities she borrowed—were.

The bitterness that slipped into her tone wasn't lost upon the raven-haired Trainer. "Is something wrong?"

The Champion quickly reeled in the negativity she felt, plastering a vapid smile across her face. "No, not at all."

The mask was perfect and the other woman didn't seem to question her sudden change in demeanor—the momentary slip of realness—at all. "If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know."

"Actually, would you be willing to play a part in _My Sweet Lady_? You have a wonderful speaking voice."

"Why, thank you," the Grass-type specialist chuckled. "Unfortunately, the stage isn't the place for me. It takes a certain kind of person to manage the fine line between the real you and the version created solely for the enjoyment of the public."

Diantha flinched slightly, the words hitting far too close to home for comfort. It was quite easy to hide behind the persona one built for their self under the spotlight—to draw strength from a contrived back story rather than from the story that was unfolding at that very moment. She herself was guilty of doing so on more than one occasion—sometimes without even realizing it. That was the frightening part.

"Then would you mind going shopping with me tomorrow? I've been in Celadon for two days now and I haven't gotten the chance to see what the Department Store has to offer."

"Of course! It would be an outright shame if you didn't."

**The next day…**

"You're quite popular yourself," Diantha remarked as the third consecutive group of fangirls to swarm the Grass-type specialist wandered off. The florist was wearing a long blue skirt and a loose, long sleeved shirt with a boat neck and she didn't at all seem to mind the attention.

Her pleasant calm was something the starlet hoped to perfect in the character she played: a serene, down to earth Diantha that easily took everything into stride.

"Trainer's love any Gym Leader who they perceive to be stronger than them."

"Are you?"

Erika laughed, the airy sound like the peal of bells. "There are many different ways to measure strength, aren't there?"

How did she—

"Sabrina was quite taken by you when you first met," the woman explained upon her companion's questioning look. "It isn't often that you meet a Trainer who has such a strong bond with their Pokémon. Not anymore."

"You can tell?"

"One can always tell."

Diantha fell into step next to the other Trainer, her brow furrowed slightly as she considered Erika's words. It seemed she had met another like mind.

What other treasures did the Kanto region hold?

One huge, plush Snorlax, a TM for Hyper Beam, and some tasty snacks later, she parted ways with the pretty young Trainer, clasping hands briefly and promising, with no real intention of ever fulfilling it, that they would meet again.

**Day Six…**

"W-why are we here? Lavender Town is tiny a-and hardly anyone lives here."

"We're just passing through. You're not scared, are you?"

"Don't be silly! I'm perfectly f-fine."

"_BOO_!"

The startled scream that Janna released echoed across the mountaintops and Diantha shook her head at her coworker's antics.

"That wasn't funny, Kei!"

"_Ow. _Geez, I'm sorry. You don't have to hit me!"

She really didn't understand how they could be so easygoing when there was so much work to be done, but she smiled brightly nonetheless. "Play nice, you two."

This act was getting tiring.

* * *

There were pools of clear blue water everywhere, which made sense given that Cerulean City was home to Water-type Trainers. In fact, many of the Trainers standing in line wore a wide variety of swim suits and swim gear as though they had all just come from the beach.

Diantha adjusted the lapels of the long-sleeved half trench coat of her iconic white outfit, dusting off the already immaculate fabric and running a hand through her hair. She toyed with the idea of removing the article entirely—it was just far too hot.

Her wandering gaze caught sight of the orange-haired girl at the front of the line who had her arms crossed over her chest, the cropped yellow top she wore exposing her midriff and her shorts showcasing long, toned legs. Her expression spoke volumes of her desire to be in this very place at this very time and the Champion found herself wondering why the girl was here in the first place when her gaze was met; brilliant blue orbs flashed as soon as they alighted on the starlet and she stalked over, completely ignoring the protests of the security staff and getting up close and personal with the brunette.

"You're Diantha, aren't you? From _My Sweet Lady."_

Gwen's Poké Ball stirred as the Pokémon contained within sensed the apprehension behind the blank look she gave the other woman. "Yes..."

"I'm Misty, the Gym Leader around here." The intensity in her expression faded and she grinned, the expression brightening her features and proving her to be quite pretty. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

…

"I wasn't expecting you to show up personally. Figured you'd be too busy."

Diantha remained silent, taken aback by the pig-tailed girl's directness. She wasn't even sure why she was following a complete stranger (though Gwen would have intervened had she sensed any sort of ill intentions) along a dirt path to the north of Cerulean City. It soon gave way to a grassy field and in the distance the young woman could make out a low, one-roomed building with bay windows.

"Almost there," Misty called.

The moment the duo came within a few yards of the structure, the front door swung open and out came a young man with spiky brown hair dressed in a light blue polo and khaki pants. He brightened upon seeing his guests and gestured for them to come closer.

"Hello, Champion Diantha. My name is Bill and I created the very first Pokémon PC." The man grinned, shaking her hand firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come down to my lab."

"Charmed," she responded looking around the room she was lead into: a tiled workroom lined with humming computers. There was a desk in on corner, though it was likely impossible to get anything done on it due to the fact that the surface was covered in documents, and a "Why am I here, if I may ask?"

"I've always been interested in what makes the Pokémon species tick and I think I'm currently on the verge of a huge breakthrough." He lowered his voice and added, "I'm studying Mega Evolution."

Her heart skipped an eager beat and she couldn't help but gape slightly. "Really?"

"Really. I've made an amazing discovery and, when I heard you were coming to Cerulean, I just knew I had to talk to you, maybe trade notes. Rumor has it that you're quite an incredible Trainer."

Rumor said quite a lot of things. "What have you discovered?"

"I'd really like to show you rather than tell you, but that may take a few days."

"Oh…" Her shoulders slumped disappointedly. There was no way she could just abandon the tour while it was still underway. Her manager would have a complete meltdown if his pretty caged Spritzee flew away.

"Okay, we'll compromise. Stay with us for the next 24 hours and I'll try my best to tell you everything I know."

"…"

"They can manage without you for the day, can't they?"

As though her travel companions had somehow heard the question, the Trainer's Pokégear went off, ringing shrilly, and she sighed. "I…"

The hopeful looks on the faces of her new acquaintances made her hesitate before accepting the call, her finger lingering over the touch screen of the device. Travelling Kanto had proven to be a much more rewarding venture than she had hoped and, quite frankly, she was curious.

With that in mind, she excused herself and headed back outside to answer the call.

_[Where are you, Diantha? We need you to narrow down the selection of young women to play Daisy. Seriously, it's a zoo out here!"]_

"I have something I have to do first, Lars."

The casting director made an incredulous sound low in his throat. _[But—]_

"I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll speak with you later tonight.

As she ended the call without waiting for a response, she felt strangely… Light.

* * *

When she went back inside, Diantha found Misty and Bill in what appeared to be a storage room to the left of the workroom, squabbling like children over a spherical, gleaming object, the former demanding that the latter release it and the latter doing the his best to maintain his grip.

"You're… not… ready yet!"

"Yes… I… _AM_!"

One particularly strong tug resulted in the computer wiz losing balance and he released the orb; Misty went flying as a result of losing her anchor, and the object itself soared into the air, catching the light above and flashing brilliantly.

Without thinking, the starlet dashed forward, just barely managing to catch it before it struck the ground. She clutched the sphere protectively to her chest, staring at the swirl of blues and brown within it as a sense of awe overwhelmed her.

"Do you recognize that?" Bill panted, sitting on Misty's back to keep her from moving. The orange-haired Water user swore like a sailor as she thrashed around, trying to throw him off, but he seemed unperturbed. "I believe your Pokémon has one similar to it."

"Bill."

He was right. It looked exactly like the Gardevoirite Gwendolyn carried only it was a different colour. A chill went along her spine as power rolled off of the object, setting the fine hairs at the nape of her neck on end. "Where did you find this?"

"_Bill!"_

"I recently took a trip to the Kalos region and did some digging. I managed to find a few more of them before I headed back to the lab to study them in depth and what I found was amazing—mind blowing! These items, these _Mega Stones_, are comprised of pure energy. They fuel the amazing Mega Evolution forms of Pokémon for short periods of time as long as their Trainer holds a Key Stone." He winked. "But you already know that."

There was one component the brilliant young man was missing, but she chose not to comment.

Misty snarled and twisted violently, throwing Bill off of her and punching him in the arm for good measure. "Jerk! What the hell is wrong with you?"

He groaned. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"You _sat on me_!"

Diantha watched amusedly as the two continued to squabble. They were like siblings, their arguments heated but harmless. Finally, Misty helped Bill to his feet, still glaring daggers at the male.

"Where are my manners? Diantha, are you hungry?"

…

The kitchen was small, but tidy, with shiny chrome appliances. Bill procured snack cakes from his pantry and, when he offered his guests drinks, she declined the sugary sweet pop and lemonade in favor of water.

He was clearly a bachelor…

There was a sharp knocking on the front door and Bill almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to make it to the door.

Misty blinked, shoving a cookie shaped like a Poké Ball into her mouth and mumbling around it, "That's weird. Bill never gets guests."

They heard the front door open and then Bill's greeting, followed by two sets of female voices. It shut a moment later and into the kitchen came—

"Sabrina, Erika—what are you two doing here?"

It seemed fate intended for her to keep her promise.

"Hello, Diantha."

"It's so nice to see you again."

"Small world," the creator of the Pokémon Storage System remarked. "You ladies know each other?"

"We met recently," Erika explained.

"We're long-time friends," Sabrina said at the same time.

Diantha blinked, caught off guard by the title she had been given. Friend…? Since when did the blue-haired woman consider her as such? Sure, she enjoyed the other Trainer's company, but friendship was an entirely different species of relationship. Friendship meant trust and reliance and-and a willingness to share oneself that she lacked completely. Friendship meant letting someone in to see the _real _her and she just couldn't do that.

Because no matter how deep her bonds with her Pokémon were, she had trouble getting close to people. Human Beings were the only existing species capable of possessing ulterior motives—of guile and deception—and she had learned from experience that they could not be trusted the way one's Pokémon partner could be.

Shaking off the discomfort the word and its implications brought, the brunette repeated, "Why are they here?"

"Like I said, I need to show you what I've discovered. You girls head outside. I need to get something from my lab."

The girls filed out onto the front porch without a word, but upon Bill's insistence they walked further from his lab, until they were several yards away.

"Sabrina—if you will?"

The Mistress of Psychic Pokémon nodded and produced a Poké Ball; lobbing it up into the air, she commanded, "Lucian, come."

Her Pokémon appeared in a flash of crimson and Diantha blinked, her gaze catching an unusual light emanating from the spoon clutched in the Alakazam's right hand: an… Alakazite?

It was then that she realized that the bangle on the Psychic user's wrist bore a familiar insignia—a shape that resembled a warped, double-sided teardrop—within a brightly gleaming gem. The Mega Evolution sigil.

Could Sabrina really…?

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Diantha watched, wide-eyed, as her friend pressed her fingertips against the gemstone and called, "Lucian, Mega Evolve!"

The floating Pokémon curled into a ball, bright multi-coloured lights emanating from his body and glowing intensely bright until the gathered Trainers had to shield their eyes from its brilliance. A gust of wind blasted outwards, rustling their hair and clothes, and flattening the grass in a wide radius around the Alakazam.

Once the light had faded, the Pokémon standing amidst them was taller, its impressive facial moustache having become a full beard of snowy hair. A bright red chakra glinted from the center of its forehead and a single cone-shaped appendage had emerged from between long ears. The broad shoulder pads had become spiked as well, that brown matter extending down Lucian's arms like the long sleeves of a robe and feet that had once possessed three toes now had four digits that had the same prehensile range as his hands.

_(This power…) _His voice, a powerful double tenor, echoed powerfully in their minds and he raised clawed hands, examining them as four silver spoons orbiting around him, held in the gravity of his psychic abilities.

The onlookers' expressions were awed, though Sabrina seemed as though she was far, far away, her dark gaze locked on her partner.

"I just can't figure out why Sabrina can manage a Mega Evolution, but Misty can't." The aforementioned Gym Leader punched Bill in the arm a second time and he gave her a dirty look before pointedly turning his back on the orange-haired bully. "Amazing work, Sabrina. How do you feel?"

It was then that the blue-haired beauty staggered and would have fallen had Diantha not quickly thrown an arm around her waist to support her. Erika and Misty hurried over, the former ordering Bill to get the fallen Trainer some water and he went running off.

"So this is the reason you were looking for Trainers with strong bonds," the Psychic-type Gym Leader said at last, managing to tear her gaze away from Lucian.

She nodded wordlessly, trembling with barely contained elation. "I never thought…"

Gwen emerged from her Poké Ball just as Sabrina's eyes fluttered shut, her breath slowing to the steady rhythm of a deep sleep.

_(Congratulations, Lucian)_

_(Thank you.) _He came to join them, gently moving a strand of blue hair from out of his Trainer's face with a clawed finger. _(Will my mistress be okay? Her mind is tumultuous as a storm.)_

_(She'll be fine. She needs to rest.) _The Gardevoir rested a slim white hand on her partner's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. _(It's as I said: have heart. Believe in yourself and your fellow Trainers. Your search is not in vain.) _

**Johto**

To the west of the verdant grassland that was Kanto lie the Johto region, an Eden of Berry trees broken into segments by several mountain ranges.

Diantha hummed softly to herself, tapping her fingers gently against the arm of her chair as she stared at the scenery that blurred by—a rush of green grass and blue skies—as the train hurtled towards Goldenrod City.

"You've been in a great mood since we left Kanto," the head of security, a handsome man with long red hair named Kei, remarked. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, and you were gone for a whole day," Janna agreed.

The starlet wasn't a fan of the way they were smiling at her.

_/ "I'll keep you updated on whatever I find, Diantha." Bill stepped right past the hand she offered and hugged her tightly. "Thanks again."_

_She frowned, uncertain of the reason behind his words. "For?"_

"_For staying. I know how busy you are being a glamorous star and all, but my research is very important to me."_

_Is that what he thought: that she was too busy playing _dress-up_ to do anything worthwhile? _

"… _It was my pleasure, Bill." /_

Just like that, her mood soured and she turned back towards the window before they could catch the slight darkening of her expression. "Nothing happened."

* * *

Goldenrod City was a town that had slowly developed over the years into a thriving metropolis and still had room for further expansion. It was home to a handful of different points of interest other than the Gym, including a Casino, a daycare center where two kindly old Trainers could care for your Pokémon, a department store that rivaled Saffron City's, and the Goldenrod City Radio Tower—the latter of which was where Diantha and her associates would be meeting.

Which meant the Trainer should have seen this moment coming.

"Please, Miss Diantha, the audience would love to hear a few words from you," the DJ for that evening bubbled, practically dancing in place in his excitement. "If you could just spare a moment of your time for the interview…"

"That's a great idea! What do you think, Diantha?" her manager asked.

Her heart skipped a panicky beat as two pairs of eyes stared at her imploringly and, try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from taking a nervous step backwards. Super star Diantha didn't shy away from anything, but regular old Diantha reared her cowardly head and whispered, "I… Can't."

"Please?" the man pleaded, not so easily deterred. "It would mean so much to your fans."

"Diantha, you've been on the radar for almost two years now. You can't avoid every— Where are you going?! Diantha!"

She didn't stop, stumbling into the stairwell and taking the steps two at a time to the ground floor. There was a reason the starlet avoided being interviewed: as air-tight as she kept her personas, it took only a single crack in the mask to cause it to crumble, leaving her defenseless. If they peeled back the layers they would discover the plain Jane that hid within, and exposing _that _Diantha to the world would destroy the image that she had worked so hard to build entirely.

As she emerged from the building, the starlet forced a cool smile onto her face and she pulled a comb from her pocket, straightening her already pristine hairdo and gesturing for her driver, who was smoking on the steps, to bring the car around.

Nothing was wrong—how could it be? She lived a perfect life.

**Day Four**

Diantha didn't like the sideways glances she kept getting from her coworkers as they made their way to Olivine City. Her manager must have mentioned her mad dash the day before because Kei was treating her as though she was made of porcelain and may have very well broken into a million pieces if he spoke too loudly or moved too quickly.

Though the treatment irked her, the Trainer kept her eyes directly ahead and her nose pointed imperiously upwards as she took in the salty tang of the air and the romantic way the sun was sinking into the sea.

A shadow fell across her path and she snapped to attention: the city's lighthouse loomed from the craggy surface of a cliff to the outskirts of town, a tall silhouette against a backdrop of reds and oranges. Diantha slowed her pace, cobalt orbs wandering slowly upwards to the glass-walled room at the top from which an incredibly bright light spilled forth, dispelling the gloom and providing seafaring vessels with a way to navigate to port.

She had heard that an Ampharos was the source of that light and the Electric-type wasn't one commonly found in the wild. Curiosity drew her towards the structure, but Lars cleared his throat and said, "We're almost there, Diantha."

_Don't go running off again_—the unspoken sentiment hung tensely in the air between them and she fixed him with a frosty look. "Where are we going?"

They'd chalk her temper up to tiredness and the very next day she'd go back to being loveable, empty-headed super star Diantha.

"The Gym Leader here was kind enough to let us use her Gym as our recruitment hub. We're going to meet with her beforehand so that you can thank her properly.

So now she was no better than an ill-mannered child? The starlet bristled righteously, just barely managing to mask the displeased expression with a calm blankness she associated with the Diantha she used to discuss business.

Business Diantha was all about getting things done and had no qualms about breaking a few eggs in order to achieve her goals.

"Let's get this over with."

She sensed rather than saw Kei and Janna exchange a confused look at her sudden shift in demeanor, but no one commented and they continued on in silence until they came to a building with many windows sitting atop a trapezoidal mass of steel. Floodlights clicked on, lighting the paved path into the building, and the Champion pushed past her manager, striding between the Poké Ball statues at the entrance without hesitation and ringing the doorbell next to the automatic doors when she saw that it was dark and still inside.

About a minute passed in which there was no response.

"That's weird… This is the time she said she'd be here."

Diantha scoffed inwardly, unclipping Gwen's Poké Ball from her belt and clicking the button on its face to enlarge it. As her Pokémon solidified beside her, she asked silently, _'Can you find the Gym Leader of this city? Her name is…'_

She turned to the puzzled man. "Lars, what did you say the Gym Leader's name was?"

"Uh… Jasmine…?"

At the questioning inflection, she sighed. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

_(I've located her,) _Gwen informed her before the man could respond. _(She's southwest of here and closing in quickly.)_

All eyes went to the direction from which they had just come and, sure enough, a lithe form of a young woman with long, mousy brown hair clad in a white sundress was hurrying across the lawn. She skidded to a halt just before crashing into the Champion, panting slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

'… _This is her?' _For some reason, she had expected someone a little… More. If that made any sense.

_(Appearances can be deceiving. She is a powerful Trainer.)_

"Sorry *huff* I'm late." The brunette straightened, offering a delicate hand to the starlet. "It's a pleasure to meet you… I'm Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader."

Diantha shook the other girl's hand after only a moment's hesitation, smiling with a cheeriness her tired body didn't feel. "I'm Diantha. This is Gwen, my partner—"

The Pokémon flinched slightly, as though her mind had been elsewhere, and nodded her greeting.

"—Kei, my head of security—"

"Yo."

"—Janna, my manager's personal assistant—"

"Charmed."

"—And Lars, my manager."

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Miss Jasmine! Let me tell you, it means so much to all of us that you would allow complete strangers to set up shop here out of the kindness of your heart."

Bow and scrape. You didn't make friends in this business, but you certainly made assets of the people who were better connected than you.

"It's my pleasure." She paused for a moment and seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, she asked, "Would you like to come in?"

Though she would have rather retreated to the relative privacy of her hotel room, the brunette graciously accepted the offer and she and her associates followed Jasmine into the building.

All except Gwendolyn.

A single crimson orb slipped briefly shut, the Gardevoir pausing mid… well, she didn't step so much as she _glided_ gracefully, and Diantha gave her a questioning look. "What is it?"

Gwen merely shook her head and, though it was quite unlike her, didn't reassure her mistress that nothing was wrong—didn't say anything at all.

…

The crowd, the energy-charged buzz, the expectation that turned to disappointment in young faces—Diantha was getting tired of it. The last few hours had dragged on without end and she felt unreasonably exhausted as she packed up

Gwen still had returned to her Poké Ball and hadn't made a peep since, which was another reason to be concerned entirely. Her silent queries were met with an unfamiliarly dead silence for, even when the Pokémon wasn't speaking telepathically to her mistress, her gentle presence was an inobtrusive reminder that the Gardevoir would be there for her in a moment's notice. That presence was curiously absent, leaving the starlet with an almost aching sense of emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't figure it out, nor could she attempt to with all the people coming and going out of the spacious atrium within Jasmine's Gym. They were above the metallic covering that housed the stadium where she met challengers, inside of the elegant building that served as the young woman's home, and Jasmine herself had excused herself from the hubbub, retreating to the upper levels where it was likely much quieter.

Diantha envied her.

The brunette managed to escape for a blissful moment, slipping out into the night on one of the many balconies facing the sea on the south side of the building. The radiance of the Glitter Lighthouse was muted here, allowing the moon to bathe the ground in a gentle ambience that calmed the starlet's anxious ponderings, if only slightly, and she lost herself in the quiet beauty.

Why couldn't every moment be this serene? She was beginning to regret her decision to embark on this journey and it wasn't even half-way near completion. Travelling from place to place, facing the mobs of excited young Trainers, was tiring both mentally and physically and she allowed her guard to fall for the first time that week, her shoulders slumping and her chin lowering.

Even more tiring than all the attention—both given to her and given _by _her—was erecting this super star persona that her fans had come to expect of her. She could feel it slipping, threatening to reveal…

What, or even _who_, the young woman wasn't exactly sure of.

She jumped when a voice above her said wistfully, "It's a beautiful night."

"Yes," the Trainer agreed, peering cautiously upwards: Jasmine was standing on a balcony a few stories up, her hair dancing in the gentle breeze. "What are you doing up there?"

"I'm not a fan of crowds," the girl said softly. "I wish I could be more like you… More confident."

If only she knew.

The Champion sighed and slung her wrists over the railing that lined the balcony, leaning forward and staring off into the distance where the waves rolled calmly, bringing with them the salty tang that flavored the air around them. "Yeah… Me too."

**Day Six**

Gwendolyn was still maintaining her odd, almost contemplative silence when the mountainous outskirts of Blackthorn City came into view through the car window. She had refused to return to her Poké Ball, choosing instead to remain at her Trainer's side, tense and foreboding in her silence.

To be honest, her behaviour was setting Diantha on edge.

No matter what she said—or didn't—something was clearly troubling the embrace Pokémon.

…

Blackthorn proved to be a rather sleepy little place and it was only after driving around aimlessly for almost half an hour that she managed to locate the Pokémon Center to the center of the handful of buildings that had so generously received the title of 'city.'

The moment the door glass doors slid open to allow her entry, Diantha almost swooned upon getting his with a blast of cool air. Goodness it was hot out.

"Welcome!" The pink-haired woman at the front desk chirped upon her entry, smiling pleasantly. She was one of many, _many _identical sisters, all known by the name of Joy. "You aren't from around here, huh?"

Was it that easy to tell?

The Champion Diantha approached the counter, unclipping her belt and lying it across the glass surface. She had might as well refresh her team while they had the chance. "No, we're not. Would you mind giving us some directions?"

"Not at all." Nurse Joy took the belt and crossed the floor to the large, glowing machine behind her, opening the little glass door and placing each Poké Ball into one of the six semi-spherical indents within before shutting the door and allowing the device to work its magic. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm looking for the Dragon's Den."

Lars thought she was here on business, of course… Though, technically learning about various Pokémon _was_ her business.

The Pokémon doctor gave her an odd look. "It's right behind the Gym to the north, actually. Just over the rise."

"Thank you."

She thanked the woman again as she received her Pokémon, bidding the woman farewell before heading back out into the scorching heat.

…

It was nice to meet a fellow Champion, Diantha mused. She hadn't expected to run into Lance here, but it was certainly an honor to meet the Dragon user.

"Thank you again for allowing me to intrude upon you like this." She had seen the sign outside, knew that outsiders weren't exactly welcome in the Dragon's Den.

The carmine-haired man chuckled. "No need to be so formal, Diantha. We're all friends here."

That word again—_friends_. It made her skin crawl.

The Kalos region Champion smiled thinly and continued picking her way across the network of bridges that allowed the members of the Dragon User Clan to navigate across the tumultuous waves without the aid of their Pokémon. Each wave that crashed into the already slick wood made her head spin and she bit her bottom lip as she stepped and nearly slipped into the churning darkness a couple of feet below.

How did anyone manage to do this on a daily basis?

"It's not usually this choppy," Lance remarked, as though hearing the silent question. "It looks like a storm is coming."

Just her luck…

Gwen gave her a little telekinetic nudge and she realized that she had stopped walking. Quickly resuming her path, the woman made her way to the Asian style building that awaited them across the water, the lanterns hanging from the hooks on either side of the large shoji screen leading inside somehow still lit, though their flames flickered weakly.

There was an exquisite young woman with long blue hair caught in a high ponytail sitting in the middle of the room, within a ring of glowing prayer candles. She was dressed in traditional white and red miko robes and, upon hearing their entrance, aquamarine orbs snapped open, narrow eyebrows drawing together.

"… You don't belong here." The voice, though soft, was cool as ice and Diantha found herself frowning before she could school her features. "Lance, what is the meaning of this?"

"Clair, this is Diantha, the Champion of the Kalos region." Was it just her or did Clair's expression become even more disapproving? "Diantha, this is my cousin and the Gym Leader of Blackthorn, Clair."

She didn't bat an eyelash. "Battle me."

"What?"

"If you're going to spit all over our traditions, you should at least prove your worth."

Lance groaned. "Clair, please—"

The blue-haired woman held up a hand, cutting off whatever he was going to say. "Will you battle me or not?"

"… What are the rules?"

"One on one. No items, no changing out Pokémon. My cousin decides the winner and, should I lose—" The way she said it implied that such an outcome was incredibly unlikely. "—you may stay and do whatever it is you're doing here."

"And if I lose?"

"You leave and you never set foot in the Dragon's Den ever again."

The silence that stretched between them was loaded. From Lance's expression she could tell that the young woman didn't usually greet outsiders with such venom and she had to wonder: what had she done to irk the Dragon-type user so?

Gwen, who had been observing the exchange silently from the doorway, came to stand at her mistress's side, projecting privately, _(She believes you unworthy of the Champion title.)_

What gave her the right?

_("An actress has her place on the stage, not the battlefield.")_

Anger flooded the brunette in a hot wave of disbelief and outrage, though she only smirked, the cool confidence of Kalos regions best Trainer, Champion Diantha, showing through the expression. Confidence that she didn't truly feel, but she wouldn't let her opponent see any sign of weakness. "I accept."

They took their battle outside, both combatants taking their place at either end of a dock to which a small rowboat was secured. Clair stood at its end, her back to the raging waters, though their roughness didn't seem to bother her in the least, and Diantha found herself musing bitterly that the Dragon user was just like the weather: fierce and unpredictable.

"Battlers, prepare yourselves," Lance called over the waves, already having giving up on trying to reason with his relative. "Begin!"

Clair drew her arm back then hurtled her Poké Ball, ordering, "Let's make this quick, Jin!" and it hit the deck and exploded into a furious crimson glow, the sphere returning to her outstretched hand as the form of a bipedal beige dragon appeared, fluttering wings that were way too small in proportion to its rather chubby body as it roared a battle cry.

The woman smirked, tossing her hair, as her opponent hesitated, her chosen Pokémon still in the containment device in her hand. "Are you backing out already?"

Diantha mirrored the expression, easily adapting that cocky, better-than-thou attitude. "Not on your life. I was just thinking that I didn't want you to feel too badly when you lose."

"_Excuse_ me?"

In way of response, the Champion lobbed a Poké Ball, drawing her coat closer to her as she commanded, "Come on out, Aurora!" and unleashed the blizzard brewing within. A sheet of ice crackled as it spread out over the stormy waters, stilling them in elegant curls and twists, and the air shimmered with frozen crystals as the beam of crimson lashed out, taking on the gargantuan form of a quadruped blue Pokémon with a long neck and tail. Elegant, fin-like extensions emerged from either side of its narrow head, ribbons that possessed the same sheen as a droplet of water refracting light into a rainbow, and there was a series of baby blue gems running along either side of its form and one in the center of its forehead, each glittering coolly as they produced still more ice.

The Aurorus threw back his head and roared, the frightening sound making the Dragonite's roar from earlier seem like a Skitty's mewl in comparison as it echoed through the vast caverns, stirring up a bone-chilling gust that battered both trainers in its wake.

Clair could only stare, aquamarine orbs wide, and the brunette quipped, "Are you thinking of backing out?"

Blackthorn City's Gym Leader scowled, tossing her cape with a flourish—as though the cold didn't affect her in the least—so that it danced theatrically in the sudden gale. "You'll regret challenging the world's greatest Dragon user." Without preamble, she snapped, "Jin, _Whirlwind._"

The Pokémon obediently began to flap tiny wings and they glowed an otherworldly blue colour as a swirling vortex of frigid air formed far more quickly than one would expect, encircling the tundra Pokémon in a wall of howling winds.

"_Light Screen_, now!" Diantha commanded, yelling to be heard. It was already too late to avoid the attack since Clair had gotten the drop on her, but she wasn't about to let the Dragonite go unscathed after this first exchange. A gleaming barrier of light enclosed the Pokémon's vast form, shimmering duly within the whirlwind, and the Aurorus was actually lifted from the icy terrain its entrance had created and tossed a few yards away; as the gale slowed, it revealed the crouching creature, its eyes unfocused and its frame wobbling minutely.

The status effect, Confusion, didn't bode well for the Champion and her smug opponent knew it. "Jin, it's time for a _Dragon Rush._"

The antennae on either side of the single horn poking out of the center of the Pokémon's head glowed a brilliant blue and a towering shadow made of the same luminous energy loomed behind the Dragonite as he launched himself forward.

She had to think quickly. Perhaps with the added Special from _Light Screen_, she could stop the oncoming attack dead in its tracks—an adequate defense from a powerful offense. Without another moment's consideration, she yelled, "_Thunder! _Aim right for the ground before you!"

Aurora reared her head up, her fins filling with a soft golden colour, and the ominous rumble of thunder echoed through the cavernous underground space just as Jin's glittering form came within arm's length of her bared throat.

There was a blinding flash, a deafening sound of impact and then, everything was still and silent.

When the light faded, Diantha dared to open her eyes to survey the damage: the Dragonite's body lay face down in a slightly charred heap, though it didn't seem to be too badly injured, and her own Pokémon was slumped, the projections on either side of her head pulsating a weak pink colour. It seemed the electrical blast had prevented the impact, but not the wave of Dragon energy that had suffused Jin's form.

She was still in this.

"Quickly, Aurora, _Blizzard!_"

With her last bit of strength, the tundra Pokémon squared his shoulders, her fins flushing a pale shade of blue as light gathered between parted jaws.

"Get up, Jin!"

But it was too late and a flurry of ice shards shot from Aurora's mouth, battering her opponent, who roared and fell to his knees mid-attempt to rise, clamping stubby arms protectively over his head as he cowered.

"Enough," Diantha said sharply, preventing any further damage to her opponent's Pokémon.

Her Pokémon snapped her mouth shut, looking curiously to its Trainer, and she thanked the Aurorus quietly, recalling the weary creature for a good rest.

Lance breathed a sigh of relief before raising his right hand and declaring, "Winner: Champion Diantha." He crossed the distance between them, offering his hand in a congratulatory handshake. "You're a good person, Diantha."

Was she?

Clair was silent as she went over to her Pokémon and stooped, murmuring something to her fallen partner and giving him a gentle pat on the head as she recalled him with a beam of crimson. For a moment the brunette's heart went out to the prideful Dragon user, but then aquamarine orbs flicked towards her, sparkling with defiance, and she straightened her spine, lifting her chin haughtily.

"So, Lance, about the Dragon Pokémon here…" she began, grinning provocatively as the blue-haired Trainer bristled with contempt.

* * *

"I admit defeat and apologize for any trouble that I caused." It was clear from Clair's monotonous tone that she had been fed those exact lines and a glance over her shoulder at the wizened old man who served as head of the Dragon User Clan confirmed it.

"It's fine.

"Come back again. We'll have a rematch." Something glinted in clear blue orbs and the Champion felt a competitiveness she didn't know she possessed surge to meet it.

"You're on."

They shook hands, the gesture quite a bit more friendly than Diantha would have expected given the ardor with which she had been attacked and the two parted ways.

**Sinnoh**

To the south of Johto lay the Sinnoh region which was comprised of a large mainland divided in two by the largest mountain range in the region, Mt Coronet, and several small islands.

Unfortunately, the Champion wouldn't be seeing much of it as she had received a call from Seibold, requesting that she return—immediately.

"We'll take care of the rest," Janna promised. "We've gotten the bulk of our work out of the way and all that's left is—"

"The male lead role." Diantha pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. This was the largest part and they had yet to fill it despite all of their hard work. Perhaps she was just being picky?

"Right… And a few background roles." The last bit was likely an attempt to comfort her, but it fell flat. "You can count on us. Don't worry."

Though that was easier said than done, the starlet nodded.

* * *

_Her Elite Four duties came first._

* * *

Cynthia ran a hand through long blonde locks, seriously considering slipping out the back. She hated being trapped here in this stuffy little room for hours at a time, but that was her job as Champion of the Sinnoh region Elite Four. As tedious a job it was at times (and illogical considering there weren't that many challengers because it took a long while to gather all seven badges and _then _beat the four powerful Trainers in the rooms before hers), she supposed there was no one else who _could _do it. After all, if was up to the Champion to decide who was worthy of their title—by their strength and how well they shared it with their Pokémon partner.

Speaking of… gray eyes went to the Lucario seated on a pedestal behind her, his legs crossed and his eyes closed as he meditated.

Sometimes she envied his quiet calm. She was a wanderer at heart—an inquisitive soul bent on exploration and adventure—and therefore incapable of being happy when she was unable to come and go as she pleased. Freedom was worth all of the money and fame in the world.

"Raynor, have you heard any more of that distress cry?"

_(No… Nothing. It's been oddly quiet.) _She knew from the wrinkle of his snout that there was more to it, so she waited patiently until he added, _(I believe my presence was noticed and they're guarding their thoughts much more carefully.)_

"Perhaps the problem is solved," the Champion offered.

_(Perhaps…) _He didn't sound too sure.

The door burst open and the duo went tense, but it was no challenger. Instead, their visitor was a familiar face: a young man with an afro of red hair dressed casually in a bright yellow vest, loose black pants, and sandals. "Yo, Cynth, you heard the news?" He grinned at the aura Pokémon. "'Sup, Raynor?"

When the Lucario nodded, the man continued, "So get this: this incredibly famous chick has been travelling the regions, looking for people to act in her big fancy play, and you'll never guess what. She's not even gonna make it here! I mean, sure, Sinnoh is a huge place, but she can't just treat us like that."

"I'm not entirely sure why this should interest me," the blonde remarked dryly.

"I'm gettin' to that. Geez. Turns out the chick is also the Champion of the Kalos region. Can you imagine? That's gotta suck big time because there's no time for _you_, you know? It's all work, no play. Though I guess being famous can't be that bad…"

A chill went down Cynthia's spine, an inkling of a memory trying furiously to surface. For a moment, she could only scowl, missing out on whatever information Flint was so enthusiastically divulging as she tried in vain to grasp the fragile strands of memory.

"I hear she's a real looker, too. Weird name, though, it's—"

"Diantha." The name left her in a hushed whisper, almost a gasp, as realization hit the Sinnoh region Champion.

"Uh… Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Call it a Trainer's intuition," she muttered, her heart racing curiously. This couldn't just be coincidence. "Flint."

"Huh?"

"I'm leaving."

"_Again_?" he groaned. "C'mon, Cynth, you can't go off poking around in Eterna every time you get bor—" He snapped his mouth shut at the look she gave him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, hey, no need for that look. What's this really about?"

"Excuse me?" She swept past him, sliding open the panel leading into her living quarters and heading straight for the duffle by the foot of her bed. She heard him come to the doorway, where he lingered, uncertain of whether or not he was allowed inside, as she threw articles of clothing into it.

"You only get all broody like that when you've got a serious mystery on your mind. So, what, did you learn about Palkia or Dialga or, what was that other one?"

"Giratina," she answered automatically, lifting the bag onto her shoulder. "This has nothing to do with them."

He arched an eyebrow. "Really? _Now_ I'm interested."

Cynthia chuckled, approaching the Trainer so she could rest a hand on his shoulder and look him in the eye. She didn't offer him any insight on her latest adventure, "Goodbye, Flint. I'll see you in a week."

As she headed through the back entrance to the Elite Four hall, putting on a pair of shades as the sunlight threatened to blind her, she heard the red-head call. "I'd better!"

Once she was outside of the vast shadow the building cast, the blonde relaxed, a smile curving full lips as she felt the weight of her responsibilities diminish just a bit. The world was her Cloyster and her current destination, the Kalos region. It was new and uncharted territory for the woman and a little thrill of excitement zipped along her spine as she pulled a Poké Ball from the pocket of her coat/

"Come, Kuro."

Crimson faded to reveal an odd white avian Pokémon. Red and blue triangles marked the underside of its body and two of the three feathers jutting from the top of its head and it chirruped, a pleased smile on its face.

_(Where are we going?)_

She hopped astride the Togekiss, holding up Raynor's Poké Ball. "Does it matter?"

His chuckle filled her mind with warm amusement before she recalled the Lucario and she safely stowed him away with the other members of her team before patting Kuro on the head.

"Toge?"

"Let's go."

They were gone in a flap of wings and a sharp gust of wind.


	3. The Paparazzi

Ah… Classes are in session. I'll be around, though—promise. Don't expect huge chapters like the last one, though o-e That got out of hand. Onward!

**-The Paparazzi-**

The flashes of the cameras were starting to make her temples throb, but Diantha smiled serenely, bottling up the unpleasantness she felt so that it wouldn't reflect in her countenance.

She had a reputation to uphold and the devices would only help to immortalize it.

"Miss Diantha, now that you've returned to Sinnoh, what are your plans?"

"I intend to act, of course. I have a few battles scheduled, but afterwards, I'll be dedicating the majority of my attention to the development of my play."

"Diantha, how about some words for your many fans?"

"I'd like to thank everyone for their support. It's been an honor to work with so many talented young people, and I'm certain _My Sweet Lady _will be a hit."

"Champion Diantha, what about the news that your parents will be coming out to see the premier of your play? It's been years since you've even mentioned them—how does that make you feel?"

At that last question, the woman stopped mid-step, the other voices becoming the faint, troublesome buzz of background noise as the words echoed in her mind, mocking in their repetition.

_(My mistress has no further comment,) _Gwen projected loudly, coming to her partner's rescue. _(Please note that this is private property and you are therefore trespassing.)_

The clamor only grew, the din of incredulous, demanding voices making the woman's temples throb, and she hid behind her partner, totally and utterly vulnerable without meaning to seem as such for the first time under the public eye. The crowd ate it up; each flash of the cameras stripped her further of her façade and she felt panicked tears well up in her eyes as she retreated, reduced to an injured beast that needed to lick its wounds.

"Hey! Idiots!"

For a moment, the call was ignored and the cameras kept flashing. Then, there was a burst of heat, a stream of flames rending the air in two, and the paparazzi screamed in terror, stumbling backwards. Some dropped their equipment with cries of despair and still others actually hit the pavement themselves.

Now, all eyes were on the speaker: a medium height woman in her mid-twenties with bright pink hair separated into two long pigtails and a third, shorter one at the back. She wore expensive designer shades over her eyes, jeans that were black to the rear and red to the front, with diamonds cut out to reveal tracts of pale skin, and the black, midriff-baring turtleneck she wore was cashmere. Standing at her side was a quadruped lion-esque creature with a dark brown coat and lighter brown arms, legs, chest, and face—a Pyroar.

"Beat it."

"Py_**roar**_!" her Pokémon snarled, as though in agreement. It raised its chin, flames dancing between its fangs as the flame coloured plume of fur jutting from the top of its head bristled indignantly.

The gathering scattered in the face of such a terrifying sound and the pinkette turned to address Diantha.

"Don't let them get to you, kid." The woman shot a look over her shoulder and, despite the rose coloured shades, the disdain in like-coloured orbs was nearly palpable. "They're Mandibuzzes, the whole lot of them. I would know—I used to be just like them."

"Thank you, Malva…"

"Don't mention it."

"When did you get back?"

"This morning, actually. I was hoping to get a lead on my story about that Poké Ball thief in Lumiose, but it looks like the riffraff are already swarming all over it." She snorted, clearly disapproving of her colleagues in the journalistic field then, looked at Diantha over her sunglasses. "You okay? You seem kind of out of it."

"I'm fine." By now, those two words came out instinctively, an insistence that left her even if it was the opposite of the truth. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince anymore—the other person or herself.

"Right… So how'd the trip go?"

"Janna and Kei are handling the rest of the casting. Siebold actually called me back… I don't suppose you've seen him?"

She jabbed a thumb in the direction of the system of caverns known as the Victory Road. "Last I saw, he was rushing around near the opening. When I asked him what was wrong, he waved me away and kept muttering to himself."

Basically, now wasn't a good time.

"You should rest up," Malva added. "You look like crap."

Only her fellow Elite Four member would notice that because the journalist was used to seeing starlets and the masks they wore. She had become an expert of finding out the truth and sometimes it scared Diantha how uncomfortably close to seeing past the characters she played the pinkette was.

"Y-yeah… I'll do that."

**Later…**

The Kalos region Elite Four were seated at a long wooden dining table, chatting amicably while Drasna doled out the meal she had cooked. Siebold was sighing and rolling his eyes at something Winstrom and Malva were arguing about and Diantha hid a tired yawn behind her glass.

"Something wrong, dearie?"

She started, not realizing that the eldest of the assembled Trainers had been standing over her, a bowl of stew in her hands.

The brunette forced a smile. "Hm? I was just thinking."

Drasna's expression knew. "Don't fret, dear. It doesn't suit you."

The disastrous interview earlier must have really shaken her up if her companions were picking up on the distress that managed to slip past her carefree persona.

"I'm just tired," she replied distractedly, drumming her fingertips against the tabletop. "I should turn in early."

At her abrupt departure, the other Trainers exchanged glances.

* * *

Gwendolyn frowned worriedly, her mind awhirl with the silent screams of Diantha's subconscious, but she did nothing to calm the terrified stirrings.

She was curious.

She had been with her partner for years, but she knew little of the time before their meeting sometime after the young woman had graduated from the Pokémon Academy.

In fact, every time the subject of Diantha's past came up, the brunette shut down completely. Her family, her friends, and the life she lead before battling her way to the top and being recognized as an actress were all off-limits.

Why? Gwendolyn wasn't sure. What she did know was that pain—the deep, lingering sort that could only indicate that scars had been left on one's psyche—swept through the young woman's consciousness any time such subjects arose, their intensity so great that it felt as though the embrace Pokémon herself had experienced them.

When she dreamed—moments when the Kalos region Champion was unable to bury her thoughts deep down—would likely be Gwen's only chance to unearth some of the traumas that made her mistress hide behind masks and characters—to explain the fear that kept her from being herself.

And so, she waited, brief glimpses of Diantha's dream flashing through her mind's eye. _She hesitated_, uncertain of whether or not she should immerse herself completely and, by doing so, violate the sleeping woman's privacy as well as her trust.

_(Apologies…)_

She rested a hand on the brunette's sweat-dampened forehead, shutting her eyes and slipping into the dream world.

_/ A woman was sitting at a table in an immaculate kitchen, her eyes trained on the glowing screen of a personal computer. She looked a lot like Diantha, albeit older and every so often, she would make notes on the pad of paper next to her._

_A younger Diantha came padding in at that moment, a panda-like Pokémon known as a Pancham following closely at her heel._

"_Mom, look at what Marlow just learned!"_

_The Pokémon crooned, puffing out its chest proudly, and the woman spared the duo a brief glance._

"_Just a minute, Diantha. Mommy's working."—a standard response she had heard time and again._

_Disappointment squeezed the little girl's heart like an icy cold vice grip. /_

The Psychic-type tensed, sensing the presence of another in her consciousness. She knew from the initial, tentative touch that the being held no ill will for her, but she didn't appreciate the way it searched through her thoughts, moving quickly and quietly—almost untraceably. In fact, she could sense their surprise at her mental fortitude and that made her breast swell with pride.

That pride faded into a sense of horror when she realized that the intruder could see everything she saw, but it was too late—

* * *

/ _The woman shook her head, disapproval in the stern lines of her face. "Honestly, Diantha, is this the best you can do?"_

_She was trying—she really was._

_Diantha hung her head, her bangs falling into her eyes, hiding the tears that welled up from view. "Sorry…"_

"'_Sorry' isn't going to get you into a good school. Until these marks go up, there won't be any more of playing with that silly beast."_

_Her Pokémon was everything to her. How could that woman take them away from her?_

_As the belt containing a single Poké Ball was hung over a hook in the kitchen, just out of her reach, the girl turned and fled the room, letting the tears fall once she thought she was a safe distance away._

_Flash!_

_She was late again._

_Diantha ran so quickly she nearly tripped over her own feet, her heart pounding in her chest as though it was trying to free itself._

_She couldn't be late. _

_When she reached the front door, she opened it carefully and quietly, slipping into the darkness within and removing her shoes._

_Instantly, a dark figure filled the doorway to her parents' room and a voice that was deadly calm asked, "Where were you?"_

"_I—"_

"_Do you have any idea what time it is?"_

"_But—"_

"_Never again. You hear me? Going out is a privilege, not a right, and you just lost it."_

_Her protests died in her throat and she sighed, her shoulders slumping. Her mother's word was law. There was absolutely no use arguing because there was no hope of winning._

_She would still carry that mentality in her heart over a decade later. _

_Flash!_

"_Diantha!"_

_Why did the woman always sound as though she was angry with her daughter?_

_The girl flinched, dropping whatever it was that she was doing and hurrying to answer her mother before the call became sharper, more insistent._

"_Yes?"_

_Both of her parents were in the living room—unusual, given that her paternal figure typically worked long hours in a lab at the heart of the city. He smiled faintly as she walked in, but the expression melted when his wife snapped, "Yes, who?_

"_Yes, _mother._"_

"_That's better. Have you cleaned your room?"_

_She had, but apparently the woman didn't agree with her definition of 'tidy.'_

"_Do it again."_

_The budding Trainer had somewhere to be and they both knew that and she looked hopefully to her father for support, but he merely cleared his throat and avoided her gaze._

"_Listen to your mother, Diantha."_

_Flash!_

"_You're worthless."_

_This wasn't the first time that the sentiment had been expressed, but it still stung._

_Diantha hugged Marlow to her chest and he wriggled, making a low, questioning sound as his fur was made damp with her tears._

_No matter how much you pretended not to feel, your heart knew better._

_Flash!_

"_Diantha, come play with us!"_

"_I… can't." Her voice broke mid-sentence and she wasn't sure why, but she felt incredibly disheartened._

"_Aww… You're no fun."_

_She wasn't allowed to be. Someone as worthless as her had to work hard to become something and even then, there was no guarantee she'd be anything more than worthless._

_Diantha smiled vacantly, the expression not really reaching her gaze._

_She had gotten used to disappointing people. _

_Darkness._

* * *

"Raynor… What was that?"

He hadn't been thinking when he had pulled Cynthia into the dream world with him. Now, the woman was pale, her heart beating too quickly beneath her breast.

For some reason, what she had seen had affected her greatly.

When he tried to soothe her, reaching out telepathically to nudge her into a better frame of mind, she flinched as though she had been struck and his ears laid back.

"Sorry," the Champion mumbled, knowing full well that the reaction was rude considering how strong their bond was. "I just… What _was _that?"

_(Memories.)_

"Diantha's."

_(Yes.)_

She nodded curtly, her dark gaze wandering to the upper floors of the impressive building that towered over them. "She's here now?"

_(On the eleventh floor. She has just awoken. Under what guise will you approach her?)_

"What?"

_(The girl is a proud Champion just as you are. She won't take kindly to your charitable actions until she has allowed you to get close to her.)_

She hadn't thought of that…

"I'll think of something. Come."

The friendly steward at the front desk beamed at the duo as they crossed the lobby and entered the elevator. It stopped a few floors up to allow a short, bespectacled young man with cropped blonde hair and the Champion laughed inwardly at the double take he gave upon seeing Raynor.

But then he rounded on the Pokémon's Trainer and she stiffened as recognition flashed in dark eyes.

"Wait, I know you! Yeah, you're—"

"_Raynor."_

The brown, hair-like extensions at the back of the Lucario's head stood on end as he closed his eyes and waved a paw, easily reaching into the boy's weaker mind and guiding his memories along a different path.

"—You're beautiful."

Cynthia arched an eyebrow at her Pokémon, but gave the other Trainer a smile. "Thank you."

The elevator stopped on his floor with a cheery ding and, after giving the blonde an absolutely awestruck look and a shy little wave, the young man was gone.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked as the doors slid shut.

_(The thought was already in his head. I merely lead him away from recognition.)_

They made their way down the hallway, coming to a halt before the door marked '114', and the blonde Champion paused with her hand raised to knock.

_(Is something wrong?)_

No, she supposed not.

The door swung open and Cynthia blinked, taken off guard both by the sudden action and by how blue the other woman's eyes were. Diantha seemed tired, though exhaustion was wiped clean in favor of a haughty smirk and a softly uttered, "May I help you?"

This girl was nothing like the one in the dream she had just witnessed. She was still broken, certainly, but she didn't allow any of that to reflect on her countenance—quite the opposite. The Diantha today was above everyone else—a star that shone brighter than even the sun.

At least in appearance, anyway.

Her heart went out to the other Champion. She opened her mouth with the intent to introduce herself, but a Gardevoir rounded the corner, coming from the direction of the elevator, beverages clutched in slim green hands, distracting her from her goal. The moment the Pokémon saw her mistress's impromptu guests, her expression—if it could be called that—darkened.

The cans clattered to the carpeted floor—

_(You.)_

—and the hallway warped and twisted and suddenly they were outside, standing in the paved courtyard just outside of the hotel's entrance.

Without any further warning, Gwendolyn launched herself at Raynor and he reacted quickly, catching a slim green hand in his paw and shoving her backwards, out of reach.

_(It was you!) _She held her hands out in front of her, one over the other, about six inches apart, and dark energy swirled between her palms.

"Gwen!" Diantha chastened, appalled by her partner's behavior.

The Lucario bared his teeth, his palms held at his side as he charged his own attack, the swirling vortex of white-silver energy building steadily in size.

_(Stand down.)_

_(Face me, coward.)_

"_Gwendolyn_," Diantha snapped, utterly confused by her partner's behavior.

"Raynor…" Cynthia began, her tone warning.

Much to their Trainers' surprise, neither Pokémon paid them any heed, their attacks reaching full charge and colliding in an impossibly bright explosion of light that flared like a small sun, temporarily blinding both Champions.

When the light faded, both Pokémon were glaring at each other, the only indication of the fierce mental battle they fought being the glow of twin crimson gazes.

"Gwen… Explain yourself."

_(This is the source of the presence I've been sensing. This sneaky little Rattata.)_

The Lucario bristled_, _but didn't make any effort to defend himself from the accusation, the brown appendages at the back of his head standing up as he channeled as much power as he could into their telekinetic tug of war.

Bright blue eyes narrowed, sliding to the Pokémon's Trainer. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Well… They were off to a great start.

She cleared her throat, tucking a blonde lock of hair behind her ear and offering her hand. "Hi. I'm Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh region."

The friendly gesture was disregarded and the look she received was positively glacial. It seemed the brunette had picked up a habit or two from her mother. "Why has your Pokémon been monitoring mine?"

She really wasn't sure how to answer that question, so she went with the truth: "Your Pokémon has unknowingly been projecting distress signals these past few days. I thought I'd check it out, see if I could help."

The look she got was suspicious, naturally, though she was surprised at the sadness that flashed briefly through clear blue orbs before. Why did that news make her feel saddened?

"My name is Diantha," she said at last. "But I suppose you already know that." There was a slightly accusing undercurrent to the statement. "I appreciate your concern, but I don't need your help and neither does my partner."

The older woman sighed inwardly as the brunette pushed past her, a new stiffness in her shoulders as went back into the building.

"Come, Gwen."

With one last, distasteful look at the Fighting and Steel-type, the Gardevoir sauntered away as well.

_(… That went well.) _Raynor growled.

"Yeah…"

It seemed Cynthia had her work cut out for her.


End file.
